Camouflaged BMW X3 prototype triggers bomb scare in New York City
BMW employee left engine running and went for a walk in Central Park
A BMW employee left the engine running on a camouflaged X3 prototype near Central Park in Manhattan on Sunday causing a bomb scare that closed off the surrounding streets for 90 minutes.
A passerby noticed the vehicle parked in front of the American Museum of Natural History, found it to be suspicious, and notified the police. A bomb squad was called in and the rear window was smashed as police searched the vehicle for explosives.
The incident turned out to be a false alarm. BMW employee Martin Birkmann, who was testing the vehicle, had left the engine running while he went for a walk in Central Park. New York police ticketed him for idling.
Turns out not everyone is a car fan who can recognized BMW's usual camouflage wrapping on a prototype.
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Comments (20)
wouldn't you know that ? it is probable too that residents of both Iraq and Afghanistan also tremble in fear for their lives everytime a Humvee goes patrolling in their neighborhood thinking that CoalitionForces are just about to decimate their entire populations in the pursuit of freedom and democracy ... plus crude oil and opium poppies .
May 10, 2010 8:35 am
Worldcarfans.com: Your trusted source for ignorant anti-American comments.
All that "free" oil that we're getting and prices just refuse to go down. Strange. And I must have missed the opium kiosk at the mall.
But about the actual story...
My guess is that he's a BMW employee from the factory in South Carolina who doesn't quite have a full appreciation for the average New Yorkers' sensitivity towards unattended SUVs in public areas.
May 10, 2010 7:15 pm
Yeah seriously. It's pathetic how everything is somehow distorted into ignorant anti-American comments.
May 10, 2010 8:45 pm
What kind of cretin leave his engine idling when going for a walk ?
oh... BMW you said...
that'll splain evewything...
May 10, 2010 10:12 am
Probably because of how it looks
those humongous nostril scares people and eat babies?
May 10, 2010 10:17 am
@THERENAISSANCEMAN I couldn't agree with you more. How about an sDrive X3 BMW?
May 10, 2010 10:49 am
why , thank you very much nederinaa , that is most thoughtful of you there ! but can we make a little adjustment here ? you see it has been my lifelong desire to drive a Porsche Strosek 993 . that way when i park and go shopping at SaksFifthAvenue , i would be assured that the car would not be impounded by the police because it lay unattended , :0:0:0:0
May 11, 2010 1:52 am
what an idiot the person who called the police. very well said THERENAISSANCEMAN. very well said. i think the americans should wake up and smell the coffee and think to what they are doing in iraq and afghanistan. that BMW is burning the oil that america stole from iraq since its in so much abundance there.
May 10, 2010 12:52 pm
That's a very ignorant statement because you assume that all American citizens agree with the war. It should be obvious that this is untrue, but I suppose for some that are less educated than others it is necessary to make that clear to them. Whether or not the country is at war, that doesn't mean that a citizen shouldn't call the police to help prevent what could be an attack. Whether it is or not cannot be determined until the situation is investigated, which requires notifying the police in some manner.
May 10, 2010 4:35 pm
I love conspiracy Freaks, they look so funny in their camo and tin foil hats.
May 10, 2010 2:35 pm
The person who can not recognize prototype camouflage is probably an Apache pilot. They can't tell a bazooka from a pro video camera.
May 10, 2010 3:12 pm
When you live in New York City, considering that there was a an attempted bombing in Times Square that would have killed or severely injured anyone within a 3 block radius, people tend to be on edge. It's perfectly natural to react that way in light of the evidence that was uncovered after interrogating the terrorist. Camouflage or no camouflage, to leave an SUV idling in a very crowded area where there are no standing signs seems a bit odd to some people, and as I mentioned before people are still scared. It's easy to criticize people when you don't have the capacity to understand their current situations. If one of you actually lived in New York, you would understand that the person who notified the police, although it is a bit paranoid, was making the right choice.
May 10, 2010 3:53 pm
Exactly. Considering the attempted Times Square bombing, New Yorkers are bound to be alert. Why the hell would anyone leave their car idling and then go for a walk in the park?
May 13, 2010 5:47 am
I think there's something we're missing here. What kind of f*cking idiot would leave a car idling in the middle of the world's largest city, especially right after there has been a bomb scare. I'm just astounded by the stupidity of this idiot.
May 10, 2010 4:44 pm
hmm , i really don't know from where to start , WHY WOULD A BMW EMPLOYEE LEAVE A PROTOTYPE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING!!!! AND GO FOR A WALK IN CENTRAL PARK??????
and why would someone report a car with camouflage?? its obviously a prototype!! would a terrorist use a camouflaged car ??? its like using a car with a sign terrorist suspect inside,Please search the car!!!
are people toooooo dumb or what?
i hate stupid people
May 10, 2010 11:55 pm
Don't play the Anti-American card... Some of you have never even left the US yet still drop their 5 Cents to the topic.... If you want the truth look at videos on youtube and how many innocent people were shot at point blank for no reason?. Not to mention, the oil which is being pumped for free?. I am sorry you?re not getting a peace of the cake, but neither am I? for the ?poppy? you need to visit your local dealer?
Back to the topic?. Camouflaged car = bomb scare?. loooool
However, props for the person who called it in? Good looking out?
May 11, 2010 1:52 am
Youtube doesn't show the truth behind what happens on the videos, only what people see. There is more to it than a few moving frames on the internet.
May 11, 2010 9:16 am
click this link and it will lead you to the poppy trail
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://peacerebelgirl.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/us-soldier-in-opium-field.jpg&imgrefurl=http://peacerebelgirl.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/of-poppies-and-war/&usg=__3lGmwBXik1eqWHrbgTXWvicH2Vg=&h=384&w=600&sz=119&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=pYXWhdwFrwMBBM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dafghanistan%2Bopium%2Bpoppies%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26channel%3Ds%26tbs%3Disch:1
May 11, 2010 3:28 pm













